Amusement apparatus



J. TERUYA AMUSEMENT APPARATUS Filed July 1'7, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 21, 1925. 5 ,474

J. TERUYA AMUSEMENT APPARATUS F110;! July 1 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jgzzsizz'zujmga INVENTOR ATTCRNEY Patented Oct. 27, 1925.

UNITED STATES JENSHIBO TERUYA, OF CONEY ISLAND, BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

Application filed July 17, 1925. Serial No. 44,282.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JENsHIno TERLT YA,'{1 subject of the Emperor of Japan, residing at Coney island, Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Amusemcnt Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

lhis invention relates to improvements in amusement apparatus, and has particular reference to such apparatus as are used in amusement parks and like places for testing the skill of the players.

The principal object of the invention resides in an amusement device which embodies a target formed of a plurality of objects and adapted to be upset by balls thrown by the players, and in which a means is provlded for separating the objects from the balls after being upset and for returning the balls to a position at the front of the device while the objects are trapped at the rear to be again set up when making a new target.

Another object resides in an amusement apparatus which includes a target behind which is positioned a protecting structure for an attendant to shield him from the balls adapted to be thrown at the target, but 30 which shield is so constructed as to allow the attendant to reach through in order to replace the target after being struck.

With these and other objects in View, the invention resides in certain novel construction'and combination and arrangement of parts, the essential features of which are hereinafter fully described, are particularly pointed out in the appended claims and are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved amusement apparatus.

' Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the reference numeral designates my improved apparatus in its entirety and which includes a floor 11 inclined from the front to the rear. A floor 12 is disposed beneath the floor 11 and is inclined in a direction opposite to that of the floor 11 for a purpose to be presently explained. A counter 13 extends along the front of the apparatus and on which balls 14 used by the players are placed for use.

A bar 15 extends across the entire structure and is parallel with the counter 13 and is spaced from the floor 11 to permit the balls to roll freely to the lower end of the same. The bar 15 supports spaced platforms 16 upon which targets 17 are placed. Each target 17 comprises a plurality of nonbreakable objects in the shape of bottles 18 and which are adapted to be placed in pyramid form to be upset from the platform by the balls 14 thrown by the players who stand on the outer side of the counter 13.

A backstop 19 is provided behind the targets for stopping the thrown balls and includes a mat or cushion 20 swingingly mounted as at 21 so as to yield when struck by the balls. The mat extends across the rear of the structure and is of a height to stop any balls which may be inaccurately thrown. A screen 22 is provided above the mat for the protection of an attendant stationed behind the back stop and whose duty is to reset the targets. Swinging or slidin doors 23 are provided within the screen an are respectively positioned directly behind the targets to allow the attendant to reach through and reset the targets upon the platform 16. By providing a screen of this nature, the attendant may view the player and target during the playing of the game and will know at all times the condition of the targets.

A platform 24 for the attendant is mounted behind the back stop and is elevated above the floor 11 so as not to interfere.with the travel of the balls during their passage down the inclined floor 11 and through a grate 25 provided in the lower rear end of the floor 11. The openings in the grate are of a size to freely permit the balls to pass therethrough whereupon they drop on to the floor 12 which is reversely inclined to carry the balls to a position adjacent the counter 13. The bottles 18 are of a size to pass over the grate without dropping through theopenings ahd are deposited in a trough 26 from where they are picked up by the attendant and used for the formation of a new target. In playing the game, the participants are held at a specified distance from the targets and are given a set of balls with which to upset the objects 18 constituting the target. It will be appreciated that a certain amount of skill is required on the part of the players,

and when any one player has cleared the platform 16 of the bottles he is declared a winner and may be presented with a prize. As hereinbefore mentioned, the balls automatically return to a position at the ,front of the apparatus while the objects constituting the target are tra ,ped at the rear.

Vhile I have descri ed what I deem to be the most desirable embodiment of my invention, it is obvious that many of the-details may be varied without in any way departing from the spirit of my invention, and I therefore do not limit myself to the exact details of construction herein set forth nor to anything 1cm than the whole of my invention limited only by the appended claims.

v What is claimed as new is 1. An amusement apparatus including spaced targets at which balls are adapted to be thrown to upset the same, a back-stop positioned behind said targets, doors provided in said back stop in alignment with the respective targers,'and means for automatically returning the thrown balls to a point adjacent that from which they are thrown.

- 2. An amusement apparatus including a pair of reversely inclined floors having communication between each other, spaced-tarets mounted above the upper floor, and a ack stop behind said targets for stopping the balls adapted to be thrown at the targets, the balls adapted to ass from one floor onto the other for returning them to a oint adjacent that from which they are a apted to I be thrown. 4

3. An amusement apparatus including a pair of reversely inclined floors having communication between each other, spaced platforms mounted above the upper floor demountable targets supported upon the respective platforms, and a back stop behind said targets for stopping the balls adapted to be thrown at the targets, the balls ada ted to pass from one floor onto'the other or returnin them to a point adjacent that from which they are adapted to be thrown.

4. An amusement ap aratus comprising an upper floor incline fiom front to rear, alower floor spaced from said upper floor and inclined in a reverse direction to the upper floor and having communication with said upper floor, a target supported above said u per floor, balls adapted to be thrown at sai target, and a back-stop mounted behind said target for stopping the thrown balls to cause them to drop upon the upper floor whereby the will automatically roll from one incline floor onto the other to cause the balls to return to a position at the front end of the apparatus.

5. In an amusement apparatus, the combination of a pair of reversely inclined floors one disposed over the other and havlng communication. tween each other at the lower end of the upper floor, a target mounted above the floors, a back-stop behind I said target, and spherical members adapted to be thrown at said target from a predetermined distance, said spherical members adapted to avltate over said inclined floors after being pitched.

6. In an amusement apparatus, the combination of a pair of reversely inclined-floors positioned one above the other, a target cona back-stop behind said target, balls adapted to be thrown at said target, the upper floor having a plurality of restricted openings therein for the passage of the balls after being thrown whereby the balls are returned to a position ad'acent that from which they are thrown, an a trough at the lower end of the upper floor to receive the objects after they have been upset by the balls.

8. In an amusement apparatus, the combination of a pair of reversely inclined floors positioned one above the other, a target constituting a plurality of objects arranged, in stack formation supported above said floors, a back-stop behind said-target, including a swingingly mounted mat, and a door in the back-stop above said mat disposed in alignment with said target, balls adapted to be thrown at said target, the upper floor having a plurality of restricted openings therein for the passage of the balls after being thrown whereby the balls are returned to, a position adjacent that from which they are thrown.

9. An amusement apparatus including a counter, spaced targets supported at a distance on the inside of said counter, a swingingly mounted cushion member disposed behind said targets, each target embodying a plurality of objects, balls adapted to be thrown at said targets to upset the objects, and means for returning the thrown balls to a point adjacent said counter and for trapping the upset objects behind said cushion member.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

J ENSHIRO TERUYA. 

